I’ve finally found what was that noise that drove me crazy. My cell had another inmate, one of the importuned kind, that I never had the chance to see in my previous life.

  How could it have been? As a noble lady, I was coddled and pampered in a wonderful mansion so large and containing so many rooms that I had only ever known a handful of them and had explored even fewer. And it's not like the servant quarters were part of it.

  Under normal circumstances, this kind of pest would never be allowed in or even near a noble’s residence, even less when it was the home of one of the most powerful…

  A mouse, actually, I’d rather say a whole family, was living in the hay of the cell. We surprised them the very same day I met Finn when he was further cleaning the mess I had made out on my cell’s floor. He accidentally found their nest and scared them away.

  They were not the only ones. I was frightened as hell when they ran out of their newly discovered hiding place, escaping in search of a new one.

  I finally let my emotions run wild and screamed like any good little girl of high status would have. Yet, as dirty as it may sound, later, I learned to accept and appreciate their presence.

  It was all thanks to Finn. Like everything else, everything was always thanks to him. He defended their position, saying that they had no choice but to live the life they were given.

  And if it was unnecessary to care for them since they were still carriers of disease and ate our grain. There was no need to be afraid of them nor to see them as anything but vermin.

  At best, this would push us to view the rest of the world in the same way. At worst, especially in our case, it would only exacerbate our feelings of loss and despair.

  And he didn’t want us to belittle others or demean ourselves.

  According to him, almost every girl here disliked or even hated the mice, seeing them only as one more nuisance that reminded them of an already hopeless situation. That only brought them dark thoughts.

  So he tried to change the image they had of them to a better one. He made the girls acknowledge the mice ‘will to live’ despite their doomed situation from birth. He brought out their cuteness, which could never equal or even get close to a girl’s in her darkest moment.

  He pointed out that if they successfully struggled without even knowing hope, we should be able to do the same without losing it.

  If we had the time and means to dislike them, we might as well direct that rage toward those who robbed us of everything and forced us to associate with them. Those who refused to die had to stay strong.

  If we had the time and means to dislike them, we might as well direct that rage toward those who robbed us and forced us to cohabit with them. For the one who didn't want to die, we must stay strong.

  I honestly think this whole speech was merely an attempt to be a smooth talker and flirt, but in the end, I’ve made new friends, so I don't hold it against him and choose to believe in his words.

  This family of mice was my only company when Finn was not here since I was kept alone for quite stupid reasons. It took me some time, but after a while, they got used to my presence and allowed me to approach them to feed them.

  Even though they disturbed me every now and then when I was asleep, I eventually got used to their presence, and feeding them turned out to be more interesting than expected.

  Fin was right; they were quite cute.

  …

  Thus started my new life, confined in an unfamiliar bandit's hideout, away from everything and everyone, even from my own kidnapper. Finn said I would never see their face unless they finally decided to keep me for themselves.

  He said I was safe for now because they were, fortunately, idiots and easily influenceable.

  …

  Finn was rather busy all day long, from before dawn to the late afternoon. He would stop by my cell every lunchtime to give me my meal and look after me.

  Although he couldn’t afford to spare me more time during the day, the situation was not unbearable. To make up for this, he often spent his break times and pretty much all his evenings with me.

  His attendance was pleasant and comforting, and it always gave me a feeling of security and serenity, even though my situation could turn sour at any moment.

  He cared for me and always stayed until the end, patiently waiting for me to fall into slumber before leaving. But very quickly, because I was beginning to grow attached to his presence, I began to postpone the fateful hour as long as possible.

  Unfortunately, he realized my goal immediately and ended my selfish attempt to monopolize him desperately. He made me give up at once, using his own very effective method, whispering sweet words of threats.

  “Now, now, bad girl, if you persist in forcibly staying awake just to monopolize my attention, I will have to punish you. I might not let you sleep by then and would be coerced to avoid visiting you. Be nice, and sleep. I promise this will not, in no way, reduce our time spent together.”

  “Moreover, you must rest if you want to remain beautiful. If you lost your shine and began to look like any other ordinary slave, I would no longer care for you, and the men might lose their restraint.”

  He was right. I had to keep my charming figure and pretty body in top-notch condition if I ever wished to make my dream come true…

  After this event, I almost always fell asleep immediately after dinner, without any fuss while listening to his voice, abandoning my precious time with him for the sake of his other business.

  It saddened me, but he ultimately kept his promise and even increased our time together. He would secretly return for part of the night while I was asleep and lay by my side.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  In these moments, all my nightmares would fade away, and my dreams would only become more assertive. I was sure it was thanks to Finn, and even in my deepest sleep, I could sense his presence beside me and feel his warmth.

  He was no longer there when it was time for the sun to rise. Yet the traces remained: a still warm straw surface too wide for one, imbued with his lingering scent; a blanket pulled over my shoulders to my neck so I wouldn't catch a cold; a basin of fresh water; food…

  And all these little attentions could only come from him, not to mention that I never woke up on these nights, which would never happen to me otherwise.

  I got used to the situation. As for why he never let me know... Well, perhaps it was so as not to appear oppressive or to scare me. I'm sure he didn't hesitate to take advantage of my sleep to abuse me. He may not have abused me, but he probably devoured me with his eyes since it seemed he liked to do that very much.

  But I would instead lean toward a simpler reasoning. Finn had other women to care for besides me in the morning, and he had no time to wait for me to wake up. I guess this was why he wouldn’t let me know, and I didn't blame him.

  …

  “Finn… I’m hungry.” “I will give you a reserve of bread to hide. Just be careful with your figure, miss.”

  “Finn… I’m scared.” “Don’t be. I swore on my life that I wouldn’t let them lay a single finger on you.”

  “Finn… I’m lonely.” “So do I. Would you like to be my friend? So we might have dirty talk.”

  “Finn… I’m frightened.” “Fret not, princess. This knight will conquer all your fears.”

  “Finn… I don't feel well.” “Torments or pains? I will take care of everything.”

  “Finn… stay, please never leave me.” “At your command, my queen. ”

  “Finn… I can’t fall asleep.” “Close your eyes, I'll tell you a story. ”

  “Finn… I fear you'll disappear.” “Then I’m not leaving.”

  “Finn… I wanna cry.” “What's holding you back?”

  “Finn… I …” “There, let me wash your tears.”

  “Finn… I would like to.” “As you wish.”

  “Finn… could you?” “Yes, I will.”

  “Finn…” “Shhh, I’m here.”

  As our exchanges progressed, I became utterly dependent on Finn. Although I did not have a choice regarding my needs, I could no longer live without him.

  I realized something was wrong and had to stop this and restrain myself, but I chose to do otherwise.

  I fell in love.

  “Finn… What are you so kind?” “To please the girls. Why else?”

  “Finn… what am I to you?” “My most delicate and precious flower.”

  “Finn… Am I pretty?” “Very, the prettiest. I wish I could eat you whole.”

  “Finn… why me?” “Who knows? Would you prefer it to be someone else?”

  Finn… do you love me?

  That… that was the only thing I never asked. I already knew very well about his heart and the other girls who lived there next to me, each in their own fragment. I was sick, madly in love, and it didn't matter.

  The more time went by, the crazier I became. Let’s not even talk about him being my knight. He was already my prince…

  At that time, dangerous thoughts began to fill my mind. If only I could be that someone else, a simple girl without background, a mere slave among others…

  No, that wouldn’t have done the trick, and I would’ve gone unnoticed, but something in between… Perhaps I could’ve forced myself deeper into his murky heart and fulfilled my wish until the end.

  I was not satisfied with the situation. I wanted him to be mine, not mine alone. I didn't ask for that much, but I wished he could embrace me. But that was hoping for the impossible, beyond all reason, because I was not so simple that any man could be my partner.

  Finn kept saying he would save me, and I knew he firmly believed in his word. However, I was no longer the same naive little girl. As much as I had faith in him, I was under no illusion and understood well that it was not easy.

  I knew my mother would eventually find me, and she would punish anyone closely related to the case. And if Finn’s true affiliation could still be discussed and his life spared, the moment he would genuinely put his hand on me, no matter what I would say, she would also kill him.

  Still, in my greatest selfishness and from the depths of my darkest desire, my inner demons almost made me wish that my kidnappers would take action, unable to wait any longer and involve Finn.

  However, to say that it was unlikely would be disillusioned. I was genuinely terrified, and no matter how much my imagination went wild, I didn’t really want such an outcome.

  I was scared that they might act and that everyone would die due to my foolishness because I couldn't help myself from running away.

  I was scared I would lose the only two people who mattered to me, Finn, as well as my trust and love for my mother if he were to die.

  I was afraid he would blame me for his death, that he would hold me responsible… He would be right.

  I just couldn’t distance myself from those fears that twisted my stomach. This was only my subconscious way of fighting them as if thinking of such a terrible event made it less likely to happen. And if it did still happen, it would allow me to take the blame and feel even more guilty so I never forget it.

  Perhaps that's why I suddenly asked him to swear he would take my virginity if I was to be ill-fated. I truly wanted to give him something for once, a last and only gift before his death, even if it wouldn’t prevent him from holding me accountable. As long as it pleased him a little and reduced my pain at the moment…

  Even if I were never to remember this moment… For the simple reason that I took after my mother and that if my madness could lead me to have such dark thoughts, my mother's could very well lead to the world's demise. Knowing her, she might as well erase all traces, including my memory.

  That's how my mother was—a terrifyingly mighty existence above the world's law. Sometimes, I wondered if she couldn't ignore divine commands and do as she wanted. After all, emperors and popes bowed to her request.

  She would not think twice before annihilating any potential problem that might reach me and take me home pronto, so what about an illicit relationship, a bond already too strong to be severed?

  Fortunately, I didn’t prioritize my spoiled whims over countless innocent lives, and my self-proclaimed knight hadn’t let me down yet. Remaining true to himself, he was doing his best for my sake, desperately trying to save myself.

  That’s why, Mom, please hurry up. I don’t want to lose my unique friend and first love. I don’t wish for innocent to die. I don’t want anyone to suffer in my stead. I am even ready to give up on him, so please…

  What kind of princess would I be If I let my shiny white knight lose his hard-earned splendor and glory?

  All the while, I prayed that this fateful moment would never come and that my mother would intervene. But deep down, I still hoped that she would never find me and that Finn's business would succeed without help.

  He deserved full recognition for his effort, and maybe I could always try to convince my mother to keep him beside me as a friend, at least if he exceeded all expectations.

  Allowing me to perhaps elope with him some other time after I made him completely fall under my charm…

  Still, I wondered how my first time would be if he had to forcefully take it. If he was the only one involved, I admit that the idea of ??trying my luck remained. He wasn't innocent after all, and if I were unable to convince my mother anymore, I might still be able to negotiate his place as a pet this time by threatening my mother with suicide.

  Narrator’s note to himself: Never get on this girl's good side, whoever she is.